As is known, many passenger conveying devices have been widely applied in the building field. Typical passenger conveying devices include escalators and elevators. An existing escalator generally includes a plurality of steps of which the relative positions can be changed. Each of the steps includes a roller to move along a guide rail. The plurality of steps are generally connected together by an annularly installed step chain, so as to achieve reciprocating movement between the entrance and exit of the escalator.
In addition, handrails are generally vertically disposed on two sides of the steps, and a skirt guard panel is disposed at a lower part of each handrail. The skirt guard panel is spaced apart from the plurality of steps and treads attached to the steps. Typically, there is a gap between an edge of the tread and the skirt guard panel, and there is also a gap between the step and the skirt guard panel.
However, in use, a user may stand at a position which is too close to the skirt guard panel. In this case, the user's shoes edge, shoelace, skirt hem, sock, or trousers cuff is likely to be stuck into the gap near the skirt guard panel, leading to an unexpected accident. Particularly, such accidents occur more likely at the very moment when a user steps on or leaves an escalator or when there are a larger quantity of persons densely standing on the escalator.
Some solutions have been proposed in the prior art to solve the above problems. For example, in an embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a covering portion 30 is disposed on a tread 10. One end 31 of the covering portion 30 extends out of the tread 10 and is arranged along a skirt guard panel 20 to cover a gap 40 between the tread 10 and the skirt guard panel 20. Similarly, in an embodiment shown in FIG. 10, a gap 40 between a skirt guard panel 20 and a riser 50 is covered by an extending part 61 of a covering portion 60. The purpose of the above designs is to use the covering portion to prevent the shoes or clothing from entering the gap 40. In addition, there are also safe designs such as providing triangular protective equipment or a skirt guard panel safety switch and changing the shape of engagement between an antislip strip and the tread. However, the existing safe design has the disadvantages of inconvenient operation, poor protection effect, and high maintenance costs.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel passenger conveying device and electric drive, which can overcome the defects of the prior art and make the passenger conveying device safer and more comfortable.